Page 335 - Sports
Kuldeep's IPL form won't impact his performance in World Cup: Harbhajan
Kuldeep Yadav's sudden loss of form in the ongoing IPL will not in any way impact his performance in the World Cup where he will have ample chance of a comeback, feels senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Kuldeep, who is expected to be a vital cog in India's World Cup campaign, has got only four wickets in nine games for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and was dropped in the last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad due to "poor form". "There is no doubt that Kuldeep is going through a rough patch in IPL. T20 is a format which can destroy the confidence of any bowler but let's not compare formats. One-day (match) is a different ball game and you will see a very different Kuldeep," Harbhajan told PTI during an interview on Wednesday. Harbhajan said from what he has seen Kuldeep bowling in the IPL, the wrist spinner has no technical problems as such. "I have watched a bit of his bowling and I don't think there is any technical problems. And please check who all are hitting Kuldeep? The ...
We have right combination for World Cup: Dravid
Former skipper Rahul Dravid reckons India's recent 2-3 loss to Australia in a home ODI series will not have much impact in the men in blue's 2019 World Cup campaign and their good show in the past few years has made them the strong title contenders.
Sathiyan lone Indian survivor at ITTF World C'ship
G. Sathiyan was the lone Indian survivor at the ITTF World Championships as he edged past Christian Pletea of Romania 11-5, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6 in a Tuesday night R64 match. The world No. 28 will meet Hugo Calderano of Brazil, ranked 7, in round of 32 later on Wednesday.
Amit settles for silver, Aware for bronze in Asian Wrestling C'ships
Amit Dhankar clinched a silver while Commonwealth Games champion Rahul Aware won a bronze as Indian men's freestyle wrestlers continued their impressive performance at the Asian Wrestling Championships here on Wednesday. Amit, who won gold in 66kg in the 2013 edition, settled for a silver in the men's 74kg freestyle event after losing to Daniyar Kaisanov of Kazakhstan 0-5 in the final. The 28-year-old Haryana wrestler began with a narrow 2-1 win in the qualification round against Mohammad Ashghar Nokhodilarimi of Iran and then hardly broke a sweat in the quarterfinals as his opponent -- Japan's Yuhi Fujinami -- was injured during the bout. In the semifinals, Amit outplayed Ilgiz Dzhakypbekov of Kyrgyzstan in a 5-0 victory. Aware, who won a 57kg gold at the CWG in Gold Coast , produced a dominant display to beat Jincheol Kim of Korea 9-2 in the men's 61kg freestyle bronze medal play-off. After beating Jahongirmirza Turobov of Uzbekistan via Victory by Technical Superiority (10-0) in ...
Pak U19 to tour SA for seven 50-over matches
Pakistan are set to tour South Africa for seven 50-over matches as part of their ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 preparations.The U19 series will be played in Pietermaritzburg, capital of KwaZulu-Natal, and Durban, the province's largest city from June 19 to July 7, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday.This will be the U19's second important tour this year and is aligned to the PCB's strategy of reviving and investing on pathway cricket."This tour will be one of the cornerstones of our preparations for next year's ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, which will also be held in South Africa," PCB director Zakir Khan said."I have no doubts that the next generation of cricketers will benefit immensely from the seven 50-over matches from experience and exposure perspectives," added Khan."The South Africa tour is part of the PCB's commitment to continue to invest on future stars of Pakistan cricket and give them as many opportunities as possible so that they are ready to graduate to the
FA charges Maurizio Sarri with misconduct
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association (FA) on Wednesday, following his sending-off during the match against Burnley."Maurizio Sarri has been charged with misconduct in relation to his behaviour in the 94th minute of Monday's [22/04/2019] Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Burnley," FA said in a statement."The Chelsea manager has until 18:00 on Friday [26/04/2019] to provide a response," it added.The 60-year old was sent off for leaving his technical area and walking down the touchline when the game was in the 94th minute.Both the teams scored two goals in the first half and the game concluded on the same. However, the game witnessed an altercation between both sets of players and staff members at full-time.Chelsea will now face Manchester United on April 28.
NBA champion Harrison Barnes to visit India
National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Harrison Barnes of Sacramento Kings will visit India to promote basketball growth in the country and the upcoming NBA India Games 2019, the association said on Wednesday.
Rajeev Sethu aspiring for top 10 finish at Asia Road Racing C'ship
Experienced racer Rajiv Sethu, representing IDEMITSU Honda Racing India, will aim for a top 10 finish in Round 2 of Asia Road Racing Championship 2019 beginning here Thursday. Sethu, who is racing in his third season in ARRC, has shown consistent improvement since his debut in 2017 climbing from 46th spot in his inaugural year to the 27th position in 2018. In 2019, he opened the throttle and is ranked 14th in AP 250cc class championship snapping up eight points. Backing Sethu is 18-year-old promising rookie rider Senthil Kumar. In 2018, Senthil showed promising results in his debut year at Thai Talent Cup and finished third in the 2018 INMRC Pro Stock 165cc championship on the domestic front. In 2019 season of ARRC, Senthil made his mark by winning two points in his debut race in Sepang circuit. "Every round comes with a new learning. After riding in the Bend motorsport park, my entire focus this weekend will be to improve my riding style. With the full support of myIDEMITSU Honda ...
Delhi Capitals are not looking for mistakes and weaknesses: Rabada
Not focusing on mistakes and weaknesses has helped Delhi Capitals remain positive in the ongoing Indian Premier League, feels pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada. When asked if the break of five days before their next game will affect the team's momentum, Rabada said, "Currently, there is a lot of positivity in the team. We are focusing on positives rather than looking for our mistakes and weaknesses. "So, we are taking this break as time to relax and focus on our strengths and thus it is a welcome one." The South African is currently the Purple Cap holder with 23 wickets. Young opener Prithvi Shaw said he is happy as long as he is contributing to the team's wins. "Each player wants to perform in every match he plays. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. If I am not able to perform in a given match, I leave that behind. I am not a person who will think about the past. I go match by match," Shaw said during a promotional event. "And even though I am not scoring 50s and 100s, I am happy
ATP Finals set for Turin from 2021
The ATP Finals, the annual event bringing together the top eight men's players in the world, will take place in Turin, Italy, from 2021 to 2025, the ATP said Wednesday. The elite showdown which closes the men's tennis season has been held in London since 2009. "The five-year agreement will see the world's greatest players in men's professional tennis compete for the biggest indoor tennis title in the world at Turin's Pala Alpitour stadium, Italy's largest indoor sporting arena," the ATP said in a statement. Turin will be the 15th venue and the first in Italy to host the event introduced in 1970 as the biggest men's tennis tournament of the season after the four grand slams. Manchester, Tokyo and Singapore were all competing to host the event, as was London, which hoped to continue welcoming the players to it's O2 Arena beyond 2020. "Our congratulations to Turin on putting together such a comprehensive and impressive bid," said Chris Kermode, the ATP executive chairman and president, .
Chelsea manager Sarri charged with misconduct
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association following his late dismissal in Monday's 2-2 draw with Burnley. The 60-year-old Italian has until Friday to answer to the charge. Sarri's assistant Gianfranco Zola claimed after the match that the decision to send his compatriot to the stands was unfair as he "was just trying to tell our players to get in position". "Maurizio Sarri has been charged with misconduct in relation to his behaviour in the 94th minute of Monday's (22/04/2019) Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Burnley," read an FA statement. "The Chelsea manager has until 18:00 (1700 GMT) on Friday (26/04/2019) to provide a response." Sarri's expulsion comes as pressure mounts on him to deliver Champions League football for next season. His compatriot Antonio Conte was sacked after failing to do so last season. Chelsea occupy the fourth and final qualifying place but the two dropped points at home against lowly Burnley could ..
Australia's return to form perfectly timed: Stoinis
After a lacklusture show in 2018, Australia started this year on a good note as they outclassed India 3-2 in their own backyard before hammering Pakistan 5-0 in the UAE. With such results, the yellow brigade is now being considered as favourites for the 2019 World Cup and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis feels the turnaround in form has happened just at the right time.
Heralded a golden age': China tributes as pioneer Conca quits
Chinese teams and media heaped praise Wednesday on the diminutive Argentine who put Chinese football on the map with a record-breaking move in 2011, paving the way for the arrivals of Didier Drogba, Oscar and Hulk. Attacking midfielder Dario Conca announced his retirement from the game on Tuesday, just over two weeks before his 36th birthday. The end of his career made headlines in China, where Conca was hailed as a pioneer, and caused media and fans to reflect on how football has rapidly changed in the country in the past decade. Chinese Super League (CSL) side Guangzhou Evergrande forked out a then-domestic-record $10 million to buy a 28-year-old Conca from Brazil's Fluminense in July 2011. But it was his wages which stunned the football world, his reported annual salary of $12.5 million putting him behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the time. It was a vast sum for a player who would never represent Argentina and enjoyed nothing like the profile of Messi and ...
Ankita stuns former US Open champion Samantha Stosur
India's top women's singles player Ankita Raina shocked former US Open champion Samantha Stosur for the biggest win of her career, progressing to the second round of Kunping Open here Wednesday. The Indian, an Asian Games bronze medallist, shocked the fancied Australian 7-5 2-6 6-5 in a gruelling two hours and fifty minutes battle at the WTA 125K event. This is the second time the two faced off, with Stosur winning their last encounter in straight sets. The 26-year-old Indian struggled to hold her and managed only three aces throughout the match compared to Stosur, who smashed seven aces. However, the world no 77 made more errors -- 18 double faults -- compared to Ankita's six. She will face Kai-Lin Zhang of China in the second round. Raina, ranked 178, had finished runner up at the USD 60,000 ITF event in Istanbul earlier this month. Last year, she became only the third Indian woman tennis player after Sania Mirza and Nirupama Vaidyanathan to breach the top-200 rankings in ...
I can also score like Kohli and De Villiers, says Moeen Ali
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Moeen Ali showed confidence in his game and said he too can score runs like RCB skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers."I think it gives a lot of confidence if Virat and AB don't score, or if one of them doesn't play like AB didn't against KKR, we could still score 200-plus. I have the confidence in my own game and believe that I can also score runs just as quickly as them and take games away from the opposition. It won't always happen but I know I can do that," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Ali as saying.Moreover, he said his task is to take the pressure off from Kohli and De Villiers. "My job in the team is to do that [take the pressure off Kohli and de Villiers]. It is very difficult for a team to win if you rely on just two guys batting because they feel the pressure as well. My job is to come and score some runs and be part of the batting group and contribute in winning games," Ali said.So far, Ali has scored 216 runs in the IPL. Their today's ...
Indians deserve chance as national football coach: Pal
If given an opportunity, an Indian can also do a good job as the head coach of the national football team feels Subrata Pal. One of the finest goalkeepers to have played for India, Pal believes that trusting the Indian coaches and handing them the responsibility can work wonders.
DC role my focus, not individual glory: Prithvi Shaw
With 14 points from 11 games, Delhi Capitals (DC) are sitting pretty at the second place in the points table in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League and the best part about the team's journey is how it hasn't banked on individual performances. If Rishabh Pant has shone with the bat in one game, pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has fired the team to victory in another. Not to forget some of the quality knocks from the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw.
Party ticket backstory: Rahul friendship with Vijender
The Congress decision to nominate star boxer Vijender Singh for the prestigious South Delhi constituency has come as a surprise to many but former chief national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu has not been taken aback at the development.
Sathiyan lone Indian survivor at Worlds
G Sathiyan was the lone survivor at the 2019 ITTF World Championships as the Indian edged past Christian Pletea of Romania 11-5 11-9 6-11 11-7 11-6 in a round of 64 match in Budapest. The world No. 28 will meet Hugo Calderano of Brazil, ranked No. 7, in the round of 32 later Wednesday. Sathiyan, who beat Belgian Robin Devos in the first round 4-0, had little difficulty against Pletea, ranked 131, as he disposed of him in 35 minutes. Sathiyan, leading 2-0, lost the third game as the Romanian won six consecutive points to cause a minor ripple. But the Indian was up to the task to sew it up winning the next two games. Sharath Kamal, on the other hand, was woefully out of sorts against Tomislav Pucar of Croatia when he went down 9-11 10-12 11-8 4-11 9-11 in the round of 64. The Indian, ranked No. 36, failed to come to grips against the world No. 58, who had a better control over the match and Sharath. The Indian, however, registered a 4-0 win over Uzbek's Zokhid Kenjaev in the first ...
Sindhu, Saina enter second round of Asia Badminton C'ship
Top Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and Sania Nehwal notched up contrasting wins to advance to the second round of the Asia Badminton Championship here Wednesday. Olympic and world championship silver medallist Sindhu eased past Takahashi Sayaka of Japan in straight games. Sindhu looked in command from the beginning and registered a thumping 21-14 21-7 victory in just 28 minutes. The fourth seed Indian will next face Choirunnisa of Indonesia. World number nine Saina had to work hard in her bid to get the better of China's Han Yue. The seventh seed Indian came back strongly to pull off a thrilling 12-21 21-11 21-17 win after conceding the first game. The London Olympic bronze medallist will next square off against Kim Ga Eun of South Korea. In the men's singles, Sameer Verma notched up a hard-fought 21-13 17-21 21-18 victory over Sakai Kazumasa of Japan. The Indian survived a scare after losing the second game but, after struggling for an hour and seven minutes, he trumped the Japanese. ..